


The HermitCraft Literature Club

by ElementalGhosting



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel), Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Doki Doki Literature Club AU, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24433075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElementalGhosting/pseuds/ElementalGhosting
Summary: Grian joins his school’s literature club, just to humor his best friend. Little does he know, the club is full of really cute guys!This is a Doki Doki Literature Club AU, obviously inspired by the game. This story will contain disturbing topics, and is not for the faint of heart. Triggers, if any, will be at the beginning of every chapter.
Relationships: Charles | Grian/GoodTimesWithScar, Charles | Grian/Joe Hills, Charles | Grian/Xisumavoid, Grian/Mumbo Jumbo
Comments: 77
Kudos: 86





	1. Sold My Soul

“Heeeeeeeeey!!!”

I see an annoying guy running towards me from the distance, waving his arms in the air to catch my attention. It’s like he’s totally oblivious to the strange looks that he’s receiving from the other people passing by. 

That guy is Mumbo Jumbo, my neighbor and best friend since middle school. He’s the kind of friend I wouldn’t see myself making now, but it just works out because we’ve known each other for so long. 

We always used to walk to school together, but starting around high school, he started to sleep in more and more. I eventually stopped waiting for him after that. 

If he’s going to chase after me like this, I almost feel better pretending that I didn’t see him and walking away. However, I just sigh and pause on the sidewalk, and let Mumbo catch up to me. 

He stops in front of me, breathing heavily from his sprint. 

“Sorry Grian! I overslept again! But I caught you this time!”

I look at him teasingly. “Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you.”

Mumbo seemed a bit downcast after that. “Oh, you say that like you thought about ignoring me! That’s really mean, Grian!”  
“Well... if you’re acting weird, I just don’t want people who think we’re a couple or something...”

“Okay, geez...” Then, slightly perking up, he exclaimed, “It’s fine! You did wait for me, after all! I guess you couldn’t be mean, even if you want to.”

“Whatever you say, Mumbo. Whatever you say.”

We cross the street together and make our way towards our school. As we draw near, the streets become crowded as more students arrive. A few feet away from the front entrance of the building, Mumbo stops and turns to face me, a small smile on his face. 

“By the way Grian, have you decided on a club to join?”

“Come on, I already told you that I’m not interested in any clubs. I haven’t even been looking.”

“What?! That’s not true! You told me you were going to join a club this year!”

I take off my glasses and started polishing them with a part of my uniform. 

“Did I?”, I say dismissively. 

I guess it could be possible, if he brought it up in one of our many conversations where I space out and nod at whatever Mumbo says. He likes to worry a bit too much about me, even when I tell him I’m perfectly content with games and building. 

“Uh-huh! I was saying how I was worried that you wouldn’t have any useful skills before college. Your happiness is important to me, you know!” Mumbo took a deep breath and continued. “And I know that you’re happy right now, but I’d die at the thought of you becoming a NEET because you’re not used to the real world! You trust me, right? You don’t want me to keep worrying about you!”

I suddenly feel guilty. “Alright, alright... I’ll check out a few clubs if it makes you happy,” I say, defeated. “No promises, though!”

“Will you at least promise me you’ll try a little?”, begs Mumbo, looking at me with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll promise you that.”

“Yaay~!”

I wonder why I let myself get lectured by Mumbo. More than that, I’m surprised I let myself relent to him. I guess seeing him so stressed about my wellbeing makes me want to ease his worries a bit, even if he does tend to exaggerate everything in his head. 

~~~~~

The school day is as boring as ever, and it’s over before I know it. After I put all my books away, I stare at my desk, trying to gather what little motivation I have left. 

“Clubs...”

Since Mumbo wants me to check out some of the clubs, I guess I’ll start with the video game club...

A head with a mustache peeks into the classroom. 

“Hello?”

I violently shake my head, forcing myself back to reality. “Mumbo...?” I look around and realize that I’m the only one left in the room, as everyone else has already left. 

Mumbo fiddled with the collar of his uniform as he walked into the classroom. “I thought I’d catch you on your way out, but I saw you in here just staring at a desk, so I came in. Honestly, you’re even worse than me sometimes!”

I put my arm on the table and leaned into my palm, looking up at Mumbo. 

“You don’t need to stay and wait for me if that’s gonna make you late to your club.”

“Well... I thought that you might need some encouragement, so I...” Mumbo looks down, hands in his pockets. 

“What?”

“Well, I thought that you could come to my club!”

I was understandably hesitant about going to his club. 

“Mumbo...”

“Yeah?” He turns to me, hope shining in his eyes. 

“...There is no way I’m going to your club.”

“What?! That’s mean...”

Mumbo is vice president of the Literature Club. Not that I was ever aware of his interest in literature. In fact, I’m fairly certain that he only joined because he thought it would be fun to start something new. Since he was the first who showed interest in the idea after the guy who suggested it, he got the title of “Vice President”. That said, my interest in literature is guaranteed to be even less than Mumbo’s. 

“Come on, please?”

Now laying my face on the desk, I ask in a weary voice, “Why do you care this much, anyway?”

Mumbo blushes. “I... kind of told the club yesterday that I would bring a new member... and Scar made cookies and everything...” He nervously laughs. 

“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep, Mumbo!”

I can’t tell if Mumbo has this all planned out, or if he’s just that much of a fool. Either way, I let out a long sigh. 

“Fine... I’ll stop by for the food, okay? Nothing else!”

Mumbo bounces in place, clearly excited. “I knew you would give in! Let’s go~!”

And thus, today marks the day I sold my soul for cookies.


	2. Cute Guys

I follow Mumbo across the school, dragging my feet dejectedly. His club was upstairs— a section of the school that I rarely visit, due to it being mostly used for third year classes. Mumbo, practically bursting with energy, flings open the door.

“Guys! Our new member is here!”

“Don’t call me a new member,” I mutter. Of course, he ignores me.

I take this opportunity to glance around the room. Eh?

“Welcome to the Literature Club, it’s a pleasure meeting you. Mumbo always says nice things about you.” The voice belongs to a somewhat short guy a strange American accent. His glasses are perched crookedly on his nose, and his uniform is only halfway buttoned. His messy brown hair makes him look like he just rolled out of bed.  


He holds out his hand with a shy smile. I shake it.

“Seriously? Another fourth year? Way to kill the atmosphere...” Another guy yells from the back of the room. From first glance, his small figure marks him out to be a first year. A pale scar above the eye covers a portion of his face, and you can barely see his light brown hair under his huge cowboy hat. Despite the fact that his uniform is slightly too big for him, he wears it neatly.

“Ah, Grian! What a nice surprise!”, exclaims a third guy, as he suddenly pops up next to the first, an enthusiastic smile on his face. He has closely cropped brown, almost black hair, and his uniform is in perfect condition. A helmet with a purple visor is tucked under his arm. His startlingly violet eyes bore into mine.

All words escape me in this situation. This club...  _ is full of incredibly cute guys! _

The first year makes his way across the room to the rest of us. He gets close to my face and stares up at me, the fire evident in his hazel eyes.

“What are you looking at? If you wanna say something, say it!”

“S-Sorry...”

“Scar...”, says the guy with the glasses, taking on a disappointed tone.

The guy with the sour attitude, whose name is apparently Scar, turns away from me with a loud “Hmph.” He’s also the one who made cookies, according to Mumbo.

Mumbo has been standing next to me the entire time. “You can just ignore him when he gets moody—”, he whispers in my ear, then turns back to the others.

“Anyway! This is GoodTimesWithScar, always the energetic one.”

I nod in his direction, and Mumbo and I turn to the guy with the glasses.

“And this is Joe Hills, the smartest in the club. He’s from Tennessee.”

Joe visibly blushes at the first part.

“D-Don’t say things like that...”

Joe, who appears more mature and formal than the others must have a hard time keeping up with people like Scar and Mumbo.

“Oh... well it’s nice to meet both of you!”, I say, breaking the silence.

Mumbo smiles at me encouragingly. “And it sounds like you already know Xisuma, right?”

“That’s right! It’s great to see you again, Grian.” Xisuma towers over me without even trying, and I have to crane my neck to look at him. He smiles sweetly.

He and I do know each other- I mean, we rarely talked, but we had the same math teacher last year. Xisuma was the most popular guy in my class- smart, handsome, athletic, creative. Basically, completely out of my league. So having him smile at me so genuinely makes me feel...

“Y-you too, Xisuma.”

Mumbo suddenly interrupts. “Come sit down, Grian! We made room for you at our table, so you can sit next to either me or X. I’ll get the cookies!” He starts toward the tray.

“Ey, I made them, I’ll get them! Shove off!” Scar pushes Mumbo out of the way and storms toward the tray himself.

Joe watches the commotion with a mildly interested look on his face.

“And how about I make some tea as well?”

~~~~~

The guys have moved a few desks and chairs around in order to make a table. As Mumbo mentioned, it has been widened, forming new spots near Mumbo and near Xisuma.

Scar and Joe walk over to the corner of the room, where Scar gets a foil-covered tray and Joe digs around in the closet.

Feeling a bit awkward, I take a seat next to Mumbo.

Scar marches up to the table.

“Everyone ready?”

Without waiting for a response, he rips the foil off of the top of the tray, revealing the goods.

“...Ta-daa!”

“Oh my goodness!”, squeals Mumbo, “Sooooo cute!!”

The sugar cookies are decorated to look like little cats. The whiskers are drawn on with icing, and the eyes are chocolate chips. More pieces of chocolate are used to make the ears.

“I didn’t know you were this good at baking, Scar!”, says Xisuma in awe.

Scar seems pleased with himself. He takes off his hat and does an exaggerated bow. “Ehehe. Well, you know... Just hurry, take one!”

Mumbo takes a cookie first, then Xisuma. I follow.

“This is delicious!”

“These are amazing.”

I turn the cookie around, looking for the best angle to eat it from. Scar stays silent, but I notice him sneaking glances in my direction. Is he waiting for me to take a bite?

I finally bite the cookie. The icing is sweet and full of flavor. I wonder if he made it himself.

“This is really good. Thank you, Scar.”

Scar turns red and looks at the ground, shuffling his feet. “W-why are you thanking me? I-it’s not like made them for you anything...”

“Uh... you technically did, though. Mumbo said—“

I’m cut off by an even more flustered Scar. “W-well, maybe! But not for, y-you know,  _ you _ ! Idiot...”

“Geez, okay...” I give up on our strange conversation. Just on time, as Joe returns, carrying the tea set. He gives each of us a cup, and sets down the kettle next to the cookie tray.

“You keep an entire tea set in the classroom?”, I ask, impressed.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, the teachers gave us permission,” reassures Joe in his quiet voice. “Plus, a hot cup of tea always helps me enjoy a good story.”

“Eh... I guess.” I’m still reluctant to admit that I’m not an avid reader.

Xisuma sidles up next to me.

“Hey Grian, don’t get too intimidated by Joe. He’s just trying to impress you.”

“Wha— T-that’s not—!” He looks away, insulted.

“Hey, Joe, it’s fine!”, I quickly say. “Plus, I... I believe you. Tea and reading might not be a pastime for me, but I like tea!”

Joe gives me a faint smile.

“I’m glad.”

X raises an eyebrow and smirks. He then asks the question that I’ve been dreading this whole time.

“So Grian, what made you consider the Literature Club?”


	3. Why Did I Say Okie-Doki?

“ _So Grian, what made you consider the Literature Club?”_

I was afraid of getting this question. Something tells me that I shouldn’t tell Xisuma that I was practically dragged here by Mumbo.

“Well, I hadn’t joined any clubs yet, and Mumbo seemed really happy here, so...”

Xisuma looks at the blush that painted its way across my cheeks. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed! We’ll make sure you feel right at home.” Striking a dramatic pose, he continued. “As president of the Literature Club, it’s my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!”

“Hmm...” Quickly changing the subject, I say, “Ex-eye-suma, I’m surprised. How come you decided to start your own club? You could probably be a board member for any of the major clubs. Like, weren’t you the leader of the debate club last year?”

X seems a bit confused at the new pronunciation of his name, but lets it slide.

“Ahaha... well, you know... I can’t stand the politics around major clubs. It seems like all they do is argue about budget and how to prepare for events. I’d rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it, and if it encourages other people to get into literature, then I’m fulfilling my dream!” X has stars in his eyes as he talks about his plans for the club.

“Wow! X is a really great leader!”, marvels Mumbo. Joe also nods in agreement.

“Then I’m surprised there aren’t more people in here yet. It must be hard to start a new club.”

“Yeah, you could say that. Not many people are interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new, especially when it’s not something attention grabbing, like literature. You have to work hard to convince people that you’re both fun and worthwhile, and that makes school events like the festival that much more important.” X shrugs. “But I’m confident that we can all really grow this club before we all graduate! Right guys?”

“Yeah!”

“We’ll try our best.”

“Ya know it!”

The other guys enthusiastically agree.

Such different people, all interested in the same goal... Xisuma must have worked hard to find these three. Maybe that’s why they were all so happy at the thought of a new member joining. Though I still don’t really know if I can keep up with their level of enthusiasm about literature.

Joe gently nudges me with his elbow.

“So, Grian, what kind of books do you like? Any specifics?”

“Uhh...” Considering how little I’ve read in these past few years, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“...Minecraft books...”, I mutter to myself, half-joking. Scar’s head suddenly perks up. He looks like he wants to say something, but keeps quiet.

Joe sadly giggles. “N-Not much of a reader then, I guess...”

“That can change!” I spoke without thinking after seeing Joe upset. “Anyway, what about you, Joe?”

“Well... let’s see...” Joe traces the rim of his teacup with his finger. “I like novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of craftsmanship behind them is astounding to me, and telling a good story in an unusual world is equally impressive.” Joe rambles on, gesturing with his hands, clearly passionate. He seemed so reserved and timid when I walked into the room, but it’s obvious from the way his eyes light up that he is more comfortable in the world of words, rather than people.

“But you know, I like a lot of things. For example, stories with deep psychological elements. Isn’t it amazing that a writer can deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw you for a loop?” Joe seems lost in his thoughts. “I’ve been reading a lot of horror lately...”

I feel like I should contribute something to our discussion, as right now it feels like Joe is having a conversation with a rock. “I read a horror book once.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have expected that kind of thing from you, Joe,” remarked Xisuma joining in. “It’s just odd for someone as quiet and shy as you to be interested in horror, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. But if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can’t put it down. Surreal horror is often successful in changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment.”

Scar buts in. “Ugh, I hate horror!”, he says in a loud and obnoxious voice. 

“Oh? And why’s that?”

“Well...” His eyes dart over to me for a second. “...Never mind”

X laughs. “That’s right, you usually like to right about cute things, don’t you Scar?”

Scar turns crimson. He pulls his hat over his face to hide it in shadow.

“W-what?! What gives you that idea?”

“You left a piece of scrap paper behind last meeting. It looked like you were working on a poem called—“

“DON’T SAY IT OUT LOUD!”  


In a quieter voice, he adds, “—and give that back!”

“Fine, fine...”

Mumbo sneaks up behind Scar and puts his hands on the other’s shoulders. 

“Your cookies, your poems. Everything about them is just as cute as you~!”

_“I’m not cute!!”_

I try to divert their attention from each other before their argument gets any worse.

“Hey Scar, you write poems?”

He slaps Mumbo’s hands away from his shoulders and turns to me.

“Eh? Well, I guess sometimes. Why do you care?”

Unfazed by his defensive attitude, I reply. “I just think that’s cool. Why don’t you share them sometime?”

“N-no!” Scar averts his eyes. “You wouldn’t... like them...”

“Ah, not a very confident writer yet, I see.”

Joe raises his hand, calling our attention to himself.“I understand where Scar is coming from. Sharing that level of writing takes more than just confidence. Plus, the truest form of writing is writing to oneself. You have to be willing to open up to your reader, exposing your vulnerabilities and showing even the deepest reaches of your heart.”

“Do you have writing experience too, Joe? Because if so, maybe you can share some of your work! It will set an example and help Scar feel comfortable enough to share his,” ponders Xisuma.

Joe cringes a bit, then slowly shakes his head no.

“Oh. I guess it’s the same thing for Joe...” I say.

Mumbo looks disappointed. “Aww, but I really wanted to see everyone’s poems...”

We all sit in silence.

Finally, Xisuma speaks. “Okay! I have an idea!” The other guys look quizzically at him. “Let’s all go home and write poems of our own! Then, next time we meet, we’ll share them with each other. That way, everyone is even!”

Everyone, including me, looks uncertain.

“U-um...”

“...”

Only Mumbo seems fine with the idea. “Yeaaaah! Let’s do it!”

“Now that we have a new member, I think it will help us get a little more comfortable with each other and strengthen the bond of the club,” adds X. “Isn’t that right, Grian?” He smiles warmly at me again.

I start to regret coming to this club. “Hold on... there’s still one problem...” I start to say.

“Eh? What’s that?”

Now that we’re back to the topic of me joining the club, I bluntly come forth with what’s been on my mind. “I never said I would join the club! Mumbo had me stop by, but I never made a decision. I have other clubs to look at, and...um...” I lost my train of thought. All four guys stare back at me with dejected eyes.

“B-but—“

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought...”

“Grian...”

I’m defenseless against them. How do I make a clear-headed decision when it’s like this?  


That is, if writing poetry is the price I need to pay to spend time with these cute guys...

“...Right. Okay, I’ve decided, then. I’ll join the Literature Club.”

One by one, the guys’ eyes light up. Mumbo rushes up and hugs me, jumping up and down. “Yes! I’m so happyyyyy~!”

“Wow, you really did scare me for a moment,” said Joe, obviously relieved.

Scar crossed his arms and looked away. “If you only came here for the cookies, I would be super pissed.”

X quiets the club’s members. He turns to me. “Then that makes it official! Welcome to the Literature Club!”

“Ah... thanks I guess.”

Xisuma spun back around, now facing the rest of the club. “Okay everyone! On that note, I think we can end today’s meeting. Also, remember today’s assignment: write a poem to bring to the next meeting, so we can all share.” He looks over at me once more. “Grian, I look forward to seeing how you express yourself.”

“Y-yeah...”

Can I really impress class star Xisuma with my mediocre writing? I already feel the anxiety welling up inside me. Meanwhile, the other guys continue to chat as Scar and Joe clean up the table.

Mumbo sees me looking at them and waves. He skips over to me.

“Hey Grian, since we’re already here, do you want to walk home together?”

That’s right— Mumbo and I never walk home together anymore, because he always had to stay after school for clubs.

“Sure, might as well,” I say with a nonchalant shrug.

“Yaay~! Let’s go!”

~~~~~

With that, we depart the clubroom and make our way home. The whole way, my mind wanders back and forth between the four guys.

Mumbo,

Joe,

Scar,

And, of course, Xisuma.

Will I really be happy spending every day after school in a literature club? Perhaps I’ll get the chance to grow closer to one of these guys...

For now, I need to make the most of my circumstances, and hope that good fortune will find me. I guess that starts with writing a poem tonight...

_** Hello everyone! As this is a somewhat interactive story, now is y’all’s time to shine. Your task: recommend me words. I’m going to try to write a crappy poem with them for the next chapter. ** _

_** Remember! The types of words you say will impact which guy likes Grian’s poem more. ** _


	4. Caring

The next day, Xisuma greets me with a grin. “Hi again, Grian! Glad to see you didn’t run away on us!”

“Nah, don’t worry. This might be a little strange for me, but at least I keep my word.”

Well, I guess I’m back at the Literature Club. I was the last one to arrive, so everyone else is already hanging out.

Joe sees me right after Xisuma. “Thanks for keeping your promise, Grian. I hope this isn’t too overwhelming of a commitment for you. Making you dive headfirst into literature when you’re not accustomed to it...”

Scar pushes Joe out of the way. “Oh come on! Like he deserves any slack. Mumbo said that you didn’t even want to join any clubs this year, and last year too! I don’t know if you only plan on only coming here to hang out, or what... but if you don’t take the club seriously, you won’t see the end of it!”

Xisuma slaps a hand over Scar’s lips. “Wow, you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps their stack of Minecraft instruction manuals in the clubroom!”

“T-those are literature!” Swiftly defeated by X, Scar plops back down at a desk.

Mumbo finally contributes to our conversation. “Don’t worry lads, Grian always gives it his best when he’s having fun! He helps me with busywork, like cooking and cleaning my room, without me even asking.”

“How dependable...”, remarks Joe.

”I know!”

“Mumbo, that’s because your room is so messy it’s distracting, and you almost set your house on fire once!”, I quickly clarify, no wanting to seem boastful in front of Joe.

The man with the mustache nervously giggled. “Is that so... ehehehe...”

Joe cuts in. “You two are very good friends, aren’t you? I might be a little jealous...”

“How come? You and Grian could become good friends as well!”

Joe blushes and shyly looks away. “U-um... M-Mumbo—“

“Hmm?”

As per usual, Mumbo seems totally oblivious to the uncomfortable situation that he shoved me into.

“Oh! by the way, Joe even brought you something today, ya know!”, says Mumbo, making the atmosphere feel even more awkward.

“W-wait! Mumbo!”

What? “You brought something for me?”

“Uhh...not really...”, stammered Joe, his voice getting quieter with every line.

“Now Joe, don’t be shy~”, chided Mumbo.

“It’s really nothing...” mumbles Joe, refusing to make eye contact with me.

“What is it?”, I ask, curious.

“N-nevermind... Mumbo made it sound like a huge deal when it’s not...”

“Eh? Oh I’m so sorry Joe, I wasn’t thinking!”, exclaims Mumbo with wide eyes.

Looks like it’s up to me to save the situation.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. First off, I wasn’t expecting anything in the first place, so any nice gesture from you is a pleasant surprise. It will make me happy, no matter what it is!”

“Oh... is that so...”

“Yeah, I won’t make a big deal out of it if you don’t want me to.”

“Alright... Well, here.”

Joe reaches into his bag and pulls out a book. He hands it to me with a small smile, and I take it.

“I didn’t want you to feel left out, so I picked out a book I thought you would like. It’s short, so it should keep your attention, even if you don’t read often. Also, we could... y-you know—”, he pushes his glasses up his nose with a finger as his cheeks turn slightly pink,”— d-discuss it, if you want to...”

This is... how is he accidentally being so cute? He even picked out a book for me that he thinks I would like, despite me not reading much.

“Thank you so much, Joe! I’ll definitely read this!”, I say, putting the book in my own backpack.

Joe looks relieved at my reaction. “Phew! Well, read it at your own pace I guess... I look forward to hearing what you think about it.”

~~~~~

Now that everyone is settled in, I expect Xisuma to kick off some scheduled activities for the club, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. X and Mumbo are cheerily conversing in a corner. Joe’s face is already in a book. I can’t help but notice his focused expression, like he’s been waiting for this chance. Meanwhile, Scar rummages around in a closet.

Man... it doesn’t look like anyone wants to be bothered today. I slump down in my chair. How am I supposed to occupy myself with anything literature related by myself like this? I guess I could always read the book Joe gave me... but I’m feeling a bit tired. Maybe I should take a nap. I close my eyes and end up listening in on Mumbo’s conversation with X.

“We’re probably gonna seems super lame compared to all the other clubs though!”

“Hmm... well, we can’t give up. This festival is our only chance to show everyone what the club is all about! The problem is, the idea of a literature club sounds too intellectual for most... even though it’s not like that at all! We just need a way of showing that to everyone. You know, something that speaks to their creative minds.”

“Mmmmmmmmm... that doesn’t solve the problem though!”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Even if we come up with the most fun thing ever, nobody will come in the first place because it’s a literature event. So it’s more important to get people to show, right? And then after, we can speak to their minds and everything.”

...What’s this? Mumbo is actually taking something seriously. It’s rare to hear him deliberating like this.

“Huh, good point...” mutters X, almost to himself. “Ya think food would do the trick?”

I hear Mumbo let out a gasp of interest. “Oooh, what kind?”

“Ah... well, I guess we could—“

“Cookies!”, suddenly shouts Mumbo.

X laughs. “Great idea, Mumbo. Scar would probably love that!”

“Ah! You’re right! So this all works out perfectly~!”

“Wait... that wasn’t why you suggested it?”, questions Xisuma, confused.

“Cookies speak to my creative stomach~”

The president puts his hand over his mouth and lets out a small giggle. “Cookies it is then!”

“I’m hungry...”, whines Mumbo.

X lightly punches his shoulder. “Come on, we still need to work out the details of the event itself!”

~~~~~

I find myself smiling. In the end, Mumbo is still his usual chipper self, but therein lies the unexpected reason I admire him. Unlike me, who has trouble finding any motivation at all, Mumbo can put his mind to anything and make it come to life. I suppose that’s why I let him get on my case about silly things. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to see the world through his eyes...

~~~~~

I open my eyes to see Mumbo’s mustache filling my vision.

“AAH!”, I let out a high-pitched squeal as I fall out of my chair.

“Oops, sorry!” Mumbo jumps back and slightly giggles, not making a move to help me up. Straightening up, he says, in a stern voice, “You know what? Actually, I’m not sorry at all, it’s your fault for sleeping! This isn’t the napping club, Grian! Does our school even have a napping club...?” He trails off, looking somewhere above me.

Focusing back, he goes on. “You’re staying up late again, aren’t you? Now that you’re in this club, you’re gonna have way less time for Minecraft, you know! So you’ll need to get used to it!”

“Don’t say that so loud!”, I whisper through gritted teeth, glancing backwards to see if Xisuma overheard.

“It’s true though!”

“Yeah, I know, I know...”, I murmur. Then louder, I continue. “You’re always looking out for me, Mumbo.”

He giggles lightly and holds out a hand to help me up from the floor. “It’s what I do best~!”, he says with a wink.

“...that’s a problem!”, I retort. “What about you? You look out for me better than you look out for yourself. You’re still oversleeping every day, aren’t you?”

“Eh?” Mumbo suddenly looks anxious. “N-not every day...”

“That’s not very convincing. How many days, this past week, have you gotten up on time?” I say, crossing my arms.

“That’s... uh... I-it’s a secret!”

I look at him skeptically.

“Come on, just give me the benefit of the doubt!”

“I can’t even do that! Listen, Mumbo, it’s written all over you!”

“What? How’s it written all over me?”

I slap a hand to my face. “Mumbo, you were clearly in a rush this morning. Look, your hair is all messy around here!”

I run my fingertips down the side of Mumbo’s hair, trying to pat the spiky clumps out.

“Damn mate, you need a brush for this...”, I finally say, dropping my hand.

“Y-yeah, my hair is pretty hard to get right...”

I wag my finger at him. “Nuh-uh, I won’t fall for that. There’s more than just the hair. Look, your tie isn’t straight, either. And there’s a toothpaste stain on your collar, right here!”

I attempt to wipe off the stain with my thumb, but Mumbo pushes me off.

“No one would even notice that...”

“Of course they would! Though nobody would tell you, because they wouldn’t want to embarrass you. Fortunately, I could care less about that.”

Mumbo looks down at the floor. “You’re so mean!” he says, thinking I can’t see the smile on his face.

“Also, your blazer isn’t buttoned up. Seriously Mumbo, why do you think you don’t have a boyfriend yet?”

“Eh?? That’s  super mean!”

“Sorry mate, but you’ll thank me later.”

I start to button Mumbo’s blazer from the bottom.

“Once you see how much better you look, you’ll change your mind.”

Mumbo giggles.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

“Well, I was just thinking how weird it is to have a friend that does these kinds of things.”

“Huh? D-don’t say that!”, I stutter out. “You’re gonna make  me feel weird about it, stupid!”

Mumbo quickly backtracks. “It’s ok though! I’m happy we’re like this. Aren’t you?”

“Uh... I-I guess, yea...”

I finish buttoning his blazer and step back. Why does it feel so strange to see Mumbo’s blazer buttoned up like that?

“There, much better now!”

Mumbo squirms. “It’s so stuffy! This isn’t worth it at all...” he says with a frown. He hastily unbuttons his blazer again. “Phew! That’s way better!” He puts his arms out and twirls around, almost slapping me in the face. “So if I keep it unbuttoned, I won’t get a boyfriend, right?”

I sit on top of a desk, leaning on one arm and gesturing with another. “What kind of dumb logic is that? Also, why are you saying that like it’s a good thing?”

“Because... if I had a boyfriend, he wouldn’t let you do things like this! And you take better care of me than anyone else would, anyway... so that’s why I’m keeping it unbuttoned!”

I lightly blush. “Stop saying all these embarrassing things!”

“Huh? I didn’t say anything embarrassing...”

“Uh... just focus on waking up a bit earlier, ok?”

“Only if you focus on going to bed earlier!”

“Fine, fine... it’s a deal.”

Mumbo stares off into the distance. “I guess we really are better at taking care of each other than we are ourselves!”

“Yeah, I guess so, huh?”

“So, maybe you should come wake me up in the morning!”

“You’re doing it again, Mumbo!” I scold, exasperated.

“Aww, but I was joking that time!”

“Sorry, but it’s impossible to tell sometimes.”

~~~~~  
  
Suddenly, Xisuma claps his hands. All of our heads turn to him.  


“Okay everyone!”, he calls out. “Why don’t we share the poems we all wrote now?”

Mumbo punches his fist into the air. “Yayy~! I can’t wait to read your poem, G!”

“Yeah, same...” I horribly fail at sounding enthusiastic, but Mumbo not noticing, leaves to retrieve his poem. I’m left with Xisuma.

“So, did you remember to write your poem last night?”

“Y-yeah...”

My period of relaxation is over. I can’t believe I agreed to something so embarrassing. I couldn’t even find inspiration, since I’ve never done this before.

“Well, now that everyone’s ready, why don’t you find someone to share with?”

Mumbo skips back with his own poem. “I can’t wait~!”

Both X and Mumbo pull out their poems. While Mumbo wrote his poem on a torn sheet of loose-leaf paper, Xisuma’s poem is in a composition notebook. I can see his pristine cursive from my desk. Scar and Joe reluctantly comply as well, reaching into their bags. I do the same, myself.

Now, who should I show my poem to first?

**_I decided to go for Mumbo’s path, because you can’t do that... later in the story. Don’t worry, your other ships will get their chance ;) Also, this book is now on Wattpad! Ngl I’m really proud of the cover_ **

**_Also, poetry is hard >:(_ **


	5. A Story Update

Some people are wondering where the next update is. The truth is, I’ve decided to leave this story to rest, for maybe a month or two. Don’t get me wrong, I _do_ plan on finishing this, but right now, writing this feels a bit like a chore. But don’t be surprised if you see me posting the occasional oneshot, or even starting a new series, because I prefer juggling projects. 

Again, I _will_ come back and finish this. Thank you for understanding <3  
  


~eG

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a somewhat interactive story, which means that people will have to tell Grian what to do, in certain situations. Anyway, that’s it for Chapter 1, leave your feedback in the comments!


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